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Root Speed Up SDCard Read Access

Bek

Bek

Android Expert
Just found a FANTASTIC thread over on XDA, on how to speed up your SD Card Read Access!

In a nutshell, you can tweak the read ahead buffer on your SDCard. Works quite well actually. Seems some kernels already have this integrated (I hear Ziggy's does), but others don't/have't heard about it yet.

Here's the thread I found this morning:

SD card speed fix (5Mbps to 15Mbps) - xda-developers

The only drawback is that this value gets overwritten each time you reboot. But there's a way around it. I've documented the process here. I've never put together a flashable .zip, but may do so today to make this even easier.

xda-developers - View Single Post - SD card speed fix (5Mbps to 15Mbps)


DOWNLOAD FLASHABLE ZIP HERE: Courtesy of akazabam
sdreadahead-signed.zip

IMPORTANT: Be sure to check if the /system/etc/init.d/ folder exists in your custom ROM first!!!
 
Cool, thanks for the heads up. I'll have to try it later as I don't have my phone with me.

I see in your script that you used #!/system/bin/bash. I suggest you try it with #!/system/bin/sh instead, as not all implementations seem to have bash. I'm on mikfroyo, and I don't seem to have it. Not that it's a big deal (I'm sure I could get it), but if you want it to work out of the box for everyone, you might want to do that.

On that note, I've taken your exact script and packaged it in a flashable zip if you'd like to test it. I'll send you a PM. Like I said, I don't have my phone with me atm to test it. Of course, make a nandroid backup before flashing it...
 
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akazabam said:
Cool, thanks for the heads up. I'll have to try it later as I don't have my phone with me.

I see in your script that you used #!/system/bin/bash. I suggest you try it with #!/system/bin/sh instead, as not all implementations seem to have bash. I'm on mikfroyo, and I don't seem to have it. Not that it's a big deal (I'm sure I could get it), but if you want it to work out of the box for everyone, you might want to do that.

On that note, I've taken your exact script and packaged it in a flashable zip if you'd like to test it. I'll send you a PM. Like I said, I don't have my phone with me atm to test it. Of course, make a nandroid backup before flashing it...
Click to expand...

id like to test the zip
 
Just got back from grabbing lunch.

Will test it in the next 10 minutes, and get back to you.

Akazabam, presuming it works, could you modify it to use sh instead of bash? I noted that someone else on XDA had the same issue.
 
akazabam has completed the zip file, and I've tested it on my phone successfully.

I've updated the original XDA post, and will be editing the first post next.
 
awesome thanks, so there is a couple links on the XDA post, which one is the proper file download? Or could we just post it in this thread?
 
luigic81 said:
awesome thanks, so there is a couple links on the XDA post, which one is the proper file download? Or could we just post it in this thread?
Click to expand...

Bek updated the OP of this thread with the flashable zip :). Just flash it from recovery, and you're done.

Now I have to actually try this out for myself, lol.
 
and the results are in (i used the apk file in the XDA thread from Bek's first post to test)
write speed high of 12/mb with avergage of 9 (3 tests)
read high of 18/mb with average of 17
note I did not do a test prior, so I have no baseline :)
 
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It's normally hard to say without a baseline, but those numbers are pretty high, so...

Bek, I see you guys are talking about the stock ROM over at xda. Apparently it doesn't use init.d scripts, or at least not out of /system/etc/init.d. That's interesting.
 
akazabam said:
It's normally hard to say without a baseline, but those numbers are pretty high, so...

Bek, I see you guys are talking about the stock ROM over at xda. Apparently it doesn't use init.d scripts, or at least not out of /system/etc/init.d. That's interesting.
Click to expand...

Yup, that's an irritating bit of trivia that I wasn't aware of.
 
Looks like something I may have to try.

What are exactly the Advantages and Disadvantages of this?

Definitely something i'd like to add to the Guide.
 
ok no i didn't. when I checked my rom it doesn't appear that I have that folder or whatever so I didn't flash it.
 
Matlock said:
Looks like something I may have to try.

What are exactly the Advantages and Disadvantages of this?

Definitely something i'd like to add to the Guide.
Click to expand...

As far as I know:

Advantage: Speeds up Read Access

Disadvantage: May increase random access times

Mr. Ed said:
ok no i didn't. when I checked my rom it doesn't appear that I have that folder or whatever so I didn't flash it.
Click to expand...

What ROM are you running now? Stock?
 
Matlock said:
Looks like something I may have to try.

What are exactly the Advantages and Disadvantages of this?

Definitely something i'd like to add to the Guide.
Click to expand...

Basically, what it boils down to is the time it takes to read files off the sdcard is much lower. In theory, that means that any time you need to access the card to get data off of it, it will do so quicker. From what I can tell, there aren't many disadvantages. Apparently this only needs to be done if you're not using a kernel that already has it implemented at that level. Ziggy's, for example, apparently already does this.

Mr. Ed said:
ok no i didn't. when I checked my rom it doesn't appear that I have that folder or whatever so I didn't flash it.
Click to expand...

What ROM are you using?

EDIT: beat me to it :)
 
I'll find out if CyanogenMod7 has anything like this associated with the Kernel. If not, I'll flash this bad boy!
 
Mr. Ed said:
I am using this app: xda-developers - View Single Post - SD card speed fix (5Mbps to 15Mbps)

read 4 write 6
however when I do this ls /system/etc/init.d I get
ls: /system/etc/init: No such file or directory
Click to expand...

is that the exact error? It should be init.d with no spaces or anything. Can you go view /system/etc with a file explorer and see if you see it? If you have mikfroyo, you must have (or did) have that directory. There are a few important startup scripts in there. Did you do anything weird, like flash a HTC kernel using a boot.img?
 
i will check.

it's there. going to apply the zip now. my phone is being stoooopid again... as in like my recovery won't work. had to flash clockwork. yay

wowzers. read went from 6 to 15
 
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